Sherburne County is moving ahead with its efforts to expand high speed Internet access throughout the county.

 

Tuesday, Assistant County Administrator Dan Weber told the county board the Sherburne County Broadband Coalition Steering Committee had met a day earlier and set up a community visioning meeting for March.

 

Last November, Sherburne County was selected as one of 10 counties statewide as a Blandin Broadband Community. The Blandin Broadband Communities program is an intensive, two-year partnership between Blandin Foundation and selected rural Minnesota communities. 

 

The program provides planning, technical and financial support to communities that demonstrate the determination to bring the benefits of a broadband-enabled economy to their communities.

 

The 10 communities will share $750,000 in funding for broadband-related programs.

 

“In theory, each community will get $75,000, but there is an opportunity to get $100,000,” said Weber. “Some communities won’t go up to that $75,000 threshold, so some of that extra money spills over. We are eligible for up to $100,000.”

 

He said there is a funding cap of $25,000 for each project. He is hoping the community will come up project ideas at the visioning meeting. 

 

“It’s our goal to apply for up to $100,000 in funding. The steering committee will meet after visioning meeting and rank the priorities,” he said. “Then we’ll apply for funding for those projects.”

 

Weber said  the steering committee is inviting school districts, township representatives, county commissioners and anyone interested in helping the broadband expansion effort.

 

The community visioning meeting has been scheduled for March 10 from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The site is yet to be determined.

 

The board accepted $21,000 from the Eddy Family Foundation to the Sheriff’s Office ($10,000), Reserve Unit ($5,000), Mounted Patrol Unit ($,5000) and Seniors and Law Enforcement Together ($1,000).

 

 The board approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with Minnesota Public Employees Associations, Corrections Officers/ Master Control Operators. Terms include a general salary increase of two percent each year, increased Paid Time Off (PTO) benefit for employees with 20 or more years longevity, and the same cafeteria plan contribution as provided to non-union employees.

 

In other action the board:

• Re-appointed Tom Hammer to the Sherburne County Economic Development Authority (EDA) for a six-year term;

 

•Approved a payment of $8,094 to Sherburne Soil & Water District from a water plan block grant received by the county in December, 2014;

 

•Appointed Fran Toth (Dist. 1), Pat Arnold (Dist. 4) and Randy Linn (at-large) to the Sherburne County Solid Waste Advisory Committee for three-year terms;

 

• Approved the purchase of a used forklift for the maintenance department at a cost not to exceed $9,500;

 

•Ratified $47,143.63 in transfers from the general fund to the county ditch fund to cover deficit balances at year-end 2014.